Special Air Service

The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army that was founded in July 1941 during World War II. The SAS was conceived as a commando force to operate behind Axis lines in North Africa, and it consisted of four British squadrons, one Free French, one Greek, and the Special Boat Service in 1942. The SAS took part in numerous special forces operations during the war, including missions to support counter-fascist insurgents (such as the French Resistance and Dutch Resistance) in Europe. On 18 October 1942, Adolf Hitler decreed that all commandos should be summarily executed for being "spies", making SAS members face additional danger. In 1945, the SAS was disbanded, but it was revived just two years later as the Cold War escalated. The SAS engaged in special operations, counterterrorism, and reconnaissance, fighting in Korea, Borneo, Oman, Yemen, Northern Ireland, Gambia, Somalia, the Falkland Islands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kuwait, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. Today, the SAS has three regiments.